Clubber's trainer.

Dude Clubber was in great shape, maybe not in as good shape as Rocky but Rocky was in supreme shape even by the standards of professional athletes. He tired early only because he went all out like a madman in the early rounds. What he did was analogous to running a full on 3 minute wind sprint each round. The best boxers like Mohammid Ali paced themselves when a fight was scheduled for many rounds (I think the standard back then for heavyweight title fights was fifteen rounds). Mohammid Ali would do what Rocky did (maybe not EXACTLY since Rocky kept letting the guy punch him) and stall for time dancing around as their opponents tired themselves out then dominated the later rounds.

I do think it is a flaw in the movie that Clubber tired as quickly as he did, I think the fight should have been a little longer than 3 rounds it felt a tad anticlimactic. I doubt he would have gotten that tired that fast but it would have been much more believable had it happened after five or six rounds.

Had Mike Tyson and Mohamid Ali both been in their respective primes at the same time AND fought each other my money would have been on Mohamid as long as he could endure Tyson's onslaught for the first few rounds and did NOT try to go toe to toe with him. He beat George Forman and George was likely even more powerful than Tyson, he was STRONG AS HELL and bigger than Tyson (damn Forman vs Tyson would have been awesome). Even if I am wrong and Tyson won in that alternate reality it sure as hell would not be the almost effortless slaughter most of his victims suffered, Tyson would really have to WORK for that victory!


I actually believe that Apollo would have beaten Clubber for basically the same reasons Mohammid Ali would have beaten Tyson. And I mean middle aged Apollo too, the same one who lost to Drago (losing so badly to Drago does not disqualify him from beating Clubber Lang since Lang would have lost to Drago just as badly, Lang was nothing compared to Drago). The ONLY advantage Lang had over Apollo was more raw power, he was stronger and could hit harder but overall skill, strategy, and fitness (even reach he was slightly taller) all go to Apollo.

Rocky had evolved beyond Apollo by the end of Rocky 3, symbolized by him passing Apollo when they were racing on the beach so Apollo would not have won quite as easily as Rocky. Lang probably would have done more damage to him (but nowhere near as much as Drago did) and the fight might have lasted longer but my money still would have been on Creed unless he did not at all train for it. Hell in his prime I would put my money on Creed over prime Mike Tyson and that says something. Rocky was some years younger than Creed and fought a much past his prime Creed, I don't think Rocky could have beaten Prime Creed.